"Our objective is still April," Council President Rick
Hayes said, noting the council will need to approve the new plan in March.

Hayes said there is time for additional discussions to
happen on the matter. "I think we've got to get that back on the table and get
everything nailed down," he said.

Councilman Ron Scott wanted to ensure the plan would be
ready in time and suggested the council hold a special meeting. "I'd like to
expedite the process," he said.

Waters said the salary comparisons used in the study came
from the former Mercer plan and a survey of government entities by Auburn
University. The number of comparisons varied based on the position, with 45
salaries shown for police chiefs but one for golf professional, he said.

The city used "our neighbors who are in fact our
competitors" as part of the basis for establishing the proposed salaries, the
mayor said. "We didn't seek to emulate any one city for any classification," he
said.

The controversial Mercer pay plan enacted in October 2011
resulted in litigation filed by a group of city employees against various municipal
officials in January 2012. The city last month settled
the litigation to the tune of about $100,000 for the 16 employees named in
the lawsuit.